1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to golfing apparatus for use in practicing golf swings in general and in particular to a method and apparatus for use in practicing a golf swing in which an iron or a wood is used for hitting "through" a golf ball in a manner which normally would result in making a divot in the natural turf of a golf course.
2. Description of the Related Art
Driving ranges are provided to enable golfers to practice their golf swings using their woods and their irons. A typical driving range comprises a rectangular plot of ground which may be 350 to 400 yards in length, or longer, space permitting, and of sufficient width to accommodate a number of golfers at the same time. Typically, each golfer is allotted a predetermined amount of practice space within which he or she can safely swing their club to hit a golf ball down the driving range. The golfer may hit their ball from a wooden or plastic tee or from the surface of the practice space. When the golfer uses a tee, the golfer's swing should be and usually is identical to that which the golfer uses during normal play. However, heretofore, when the golfer has not used a tee and has hit a ball from the surface of a practice space, the golfer usually has been required to adjust his or her swing to accommodate the conditions of the surface of the practice space.
The nature of the surface of the practice space can vary widely at any given driving range and from driving range to driving range. For example, the surface may comprise grass covered turf which is substantially identical to the conditions which the golfer would normally encounter on a conventional golf course fairway. Under such conditions the golfer can and normally would utilize his or her normal swing which, when using an iron and sometimes when using a wood, requires that the club head be driven downwardly and "through" the ball resulting in the making of a divot at the apex of the swing arc, i.e. the removal of an amount of turf from below the ball after the ball is struck. Unfortunately, such ideal conditions are not found at many driving ranges.
The surface of the practice space at many driving ranges which comprises turf is typically dry and hard, and riddled with divot marks after a short period of use, making it difficult to find a patch of useful grass or even a smooth surface on which to rest the ball. At other driving ranges, the surface of the practice space may comprise a hard rubber mat, with or without a simulated grass surface, or the like. Under such conditions, it has not been possible heretofore to practice swinging an iron or wood "through" a ball in a manner which usually would result in making a divot during a normal fairway shot.
Practice driving apparatus for home use is commercially available. Typically it comprises a mat from which a ball is struck and a net into which the ball is hit. As in the case of prior known commercial driving ranges which use a mat from which a ball is struck as discussed above, prior known home practice driving apparatus also does not ordinarily permit swinging an iron or a wood "through" a ball as is usually required during a normal fairway iron shot.
In applicant's prior U.S. Patent Applications identified above there is disclosed golf practice apparatus which closely simulates actual golf course fairway conditions comprising a number of different types of frame assemblies over which a golf ball supporting sheet is stretched utilizing resilient members, such as rubber bands or a plurality of spring members. In one embodiment thereof the supporting sheet is stretched by spring members or other elastic members between a pair of fixed cross-members in a rectangular frame. In another embodiment the supporting sheet is stretched by means of spring members or other elastic members over a pair of risers mounted to a pair of honeycomb-filled rails. In still another embodiment the supporting sheet is stretched over a gas filled bag within a frame.
An important feature of the prior known golf practice apparatus described above is that the supporting sheet comprises separate simulated grass and inelastic sheets which are bonded together and attached to the frames. Because of the manner in which the simulated grass sheet is bonded to the inelastic sheet it has been found that the lifetime of the simulated grass sheet is significantly extended.
However, to facilitate and reduce the cost of fabricating, packaging, shipping and assembling golf practice apparatus as described above, it is advantageous to reduce the number of parts therein to a minimum and to make the installation of the grass and inelastic supporting sheets and the tensioning thereof as quick and easy as possible.